Diabetes Awareness
1.1
Diabetes is the condition in which the body does not properly process food for use as energy. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugars to build up in your blood, this is why many people refer to diabetes as Sugar.
1.2
Diabetes prevalence in the UK is estimated to rise to 5 million by 2025, Type 2 diabetes in particular has been growing at the particularly high rate and is now one of the world’s most common long term health conditions. Currently, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK is estimated to be 3.5 million. It is predicted that up to 549,000 people in the UK have diabetes that is yet to be diagnosed. This means that, including the number of undiagnosed people, there is estimated to be over 4 million people living with diabetes in the UK at present. This represents 6% of the UK population or 1 in every 16 people having diabetes diagnosed and undiagnosed.
1.3
Long and short-term complications can impact on a wide variety of parts of the body including eyes, heart, kidneys, nerves and feet. With all complications, keeping blood glucose, blood pressure and blood fat levels under control will greatly help to reduce the risk of developing complications. Regular check-ups are essential to help manage the condition.
1.4
High blood sugar hyperglycemia affects people who have diabetes. Several factors can contribute to hyperglycemia in people with diabetes, including food and physical activity choices, illness, non-diabetes medications, or skipping or not taking enough glucose-lowering medication. It's important to treat hyperglycemia, because if left untreated, hyperglycemia can become severe and...